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3/23/17

It has been one year since Turkey and the European Union signed a migrant deal on Syrian refugees.

The controversial agreement has been effective in reducing the flow
of Syrian and other refugees through Turkey, who aim to reach Europe.

However, this particular deal has come at an incredibly huge political price for the EU and its member states, notably Germany.

From the agreement's inception, Turkey has been trying to use it as a
card to exert political pressure against the EU, and has more than once
threatened to call it off if it did not get visa-free travel for
Turkish citizens in return.

However, this goes beyond the visa-free aspect.

In fact, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, feeling in a strong
position, has been engaging in increasingly harsh rhetoric towards the
EU and its member states.

In contrast, the EU and national officials from its member states
have largely refrained from engaging in a verbal confrontation with
Erdogan.

While European leaders do their utmost to save the migrant deal, the
European public has increasingly come to perceive the deal as a lost
case.

It is the inability of the EU institutions and European leaders to
develop a workable alternative that has aggravated the public and has
reduced the chances of the re-election of the current ruling
governments.

In Germany and France, where elections will be held soon, far-right
anti-EU parties have emerged - posing a serious threat to the political
establishment.

With strong anti-EU agendas, the success of these parties is tied to the very future of the European Union.

French and German establishment parties may find at least two strong reasons to risk such confrontations with Turkey.

First of all, in light of the widespread public displeasure in Europe
over Erdogan’s rhetoric, any diplomatic row and subsequent steps by
Turkey to end the migrant deal will be easily defendable.

Secondly, should Turkey decide to end the deal, the EU has
established physical barriers and has put mechanisms in place that would
prevent another mass flow of refugees similar to that of 2015.

With the Dutch elections still fresh in mind, establishment parties
in France and Germany may very well be tempted to copy the example of
Rutte’s and, in doing so, may win the battle against the anti-EU
parties.

If they manage to play their cards right - the end of the migrant deal may very well be the saviour of the European Union.

Note EU-Digest: It
is high time the EU tells Erdogan to go to hell and stuff the
migrant/immigrant deal where it belongs ...... No more chantage and
abusive insults from this power hungry dictator can, or must be
accepted. As a point of interest for those who might not know - the
Turkish government has been giving Syrian refugees, who request it,
instant Turkish citizenship - no questions asked . The reason
being that the Erdogan government knows these new citizens will be
voting yes in the April 16 Turkish Referendum to give Erdogan absolute
power.
Also, please take note dear Turkish European citizens and
obviously also every Dutch immigrants from wherever you might have come,
that if this upsets you - "nothing stops you to go and live in
Turkey or in your country of origin, and voice whatever negative opinion
you might have of the Netherlands or any other EU nation. All we can
say is "good riddance ! "